Courtyard houses: Those who are capable are rewarded, and many children bring many blessings.

Now Xu Jingli is over ten years old and sensible. She holds her two younger sisters in her arms. Although the person who conceived the child has changed, Xu Huizhen is still destined not to have a son.

As soon as Xu Huizhen opened the door, a familiar, wrinkled, and thin face appeared before her.

"Xu Huizhen, you really know how to take care of yourself. It's been over ten years, and you still look the same as you did back then—no, even more womanly than before! You never thought you'd end up in my hands!"

Xu Huizhen suppressed her inner turmoil and forced a smile: "It's you? I really didn't expect it. Where have you been for the past ten years? I even had people asking around about you."

"Don't try to pull the 'friendship' act on my part. Where's Niu Dazhuang? Sending you out as a woman at a time like this, are you trying to be a coward?"

"You're too late. You left the country last spring. You can ask around if you don't believe me!"

"Hmph! How could I not believe you? Good thing he ran away fast. Comrade Xu Huizhen, it's not good that you come from such a poor background, yet you live in such a nice house."

That's inappropriate. Furthermore, your conduct is problematic. Comrades, what kind of attitude should we have towards this kind of class enemy?

"Take him out for a parade..."

"Yes, take them out for a parade..."

Cai Quanwu gestured for them to stop. He gave Xu Huizhen a smug look: "So, do you want to go on a march, or...?"

"You used to be such an honest person, what happened to you now...?"

"Be honest! There's no other way."

"Wait a minute, your background seems to be even worse than mine."

"Come on, I've long since severed ties with my former family. I'm a pure proletarian now! You're not being honest at all, comrades, drag you out!"

"No, no! Let's talk this out, let's talk this out."

Such a voluptuous woman, when she comes up to tie someone up, everyone would want to touch her a couple of times...

That evening, a weary Xu Huizhen stumbled back home.

Without even a sip of water, let alone a meal: "Jingli, hurry up and pack your things, we're leaving tonight."

"Mom, are you alright?"

Xu Huizhen took a few sips of water with the ladle: "It's alright, hurry up."

Just as the mother and her four children finished getting ready, Cai Quanwu arrived again, standing at the door and asking smugly, "Where are you going? You don't want to be properly reformed by the lower-middle peasants, so you want to run away?"

Xu Huizhen knew this matter couldn't be resolved peacefully, so she stopped flattering him: "Cai Quanwu, why are you pushing me to the brink? I wronged you back then, and you've already been paraded through the streets today. Your anger should have subsided by now! Leave some room for maneuver, so you can meet again in the future!"

Cai Quanwu suddenly exploded, yelling at Xu Huizhen, "This is all your fault! Back then, I didn't mind your ambiguous relationship with Niu Dazhuang and married you, and look what happened!"

They divorced me on our wedding day, do you know how much they laughed at me? Now they're saying I forced them?

Why didn't you think to leave yourself an out? No rush, we'll take it slow.

His shout startled the two little girls, who burst into tears.

Xu Huizhen cried out in anguish, "Cai Quanwu, what exactly do you want?"

"Hmph! Don't you understand what I want?"

Xu Huizhen could only feign ignorance: "I really don't understand."

"If you don't understand, think about it carefully. Take him out for a stroll and you'll understand. Don't even think about running away. I'll have someone guarding the gate." With that, Cai Quanwu slammed the door and left.

Xu Huizhen is now filled with regret, regretting that she didn't listen to Niu Dazhuang and hide in his hometown earlier, otherwise she would be in this mess today.

Now, she's crying out to heaven, but heaven doesn't answer; she's crying out to earth, but earth doesn't respond. Even if she had eight hundred schemes in her mind, they're useless right now.

She paced back and forth in the room a few times, but couldn't come up with any useful ideas. Gradually, she got tired and sleepy, and the four of them curled up on the kang (a heated brick bed) and dozed off.

I don't know how much time passed.

Xu Huizhen felt someone nudging her shoulder, looked up, and asked, "How did you get in?"

"Stop asking so many questions, let's go."

"And you?"

"Let's go together and get out of Beijing first."

Xu Huizhen woke the children, asking, "Where are Hou Kui and his brother?"

"He's watching the donkey cart outside."

"Oh, then you'll have less trouble on the way." He picked up his packed bag and left.

Upon arriving at the gate, I saw three gatekeepers, all leaning against the gate as if they were fast asleep.

"I hope no one dies!"

"Probably not. We can't worry about that now. Do you know how to drive a donkey cart?" Chen Xueru asked.

"You have to learn, kids! Sit tight, go!..."

Once we left Beijing, it was already slightly dawn.

"How did you take them down?"

"When Dazhuang left, he left me a package, saying it was a family heirloom of sleeping potion. Didn't he leave you a package?"

"Hey! I left it, I was in a rush and didn't remember for a moment. Did you see it during the parade?"

"They're still worried about saving face now; they're lucky to be alive."

"I regret not listening to Dazhuang back then. Didn't Liao Yucheng make things difficult for you?"

"Of course I have some. Luckily, he's greedy, so I secretly gave him all the money in the house."

The group arrived in Changping around noon, but didn't dare go into the city. The two women divided the work: Chen Xueru went into the city to buy some food and came back.

Continue on your journey...

It was already late afternoon when the sun was setting and we finally arrived at the entrance of Niujiazhuang Village.

Just as I was about to breathe a sigh of relief, a sudden shout startled me: "Stop! Take one more step and I'll shoot!"

Xu Huizhen and Chen Xueru quickly turned around, searching for people, calling out, "We are Niu Dazhuang's women! Isn't this Niu Family Village?"

Upon hearing this, a young man emerged from the stone house at the village entrance: "You say she's Uncle Dazhuang's woman, what proof do you have?"

"Um, Qin Xueru knows us, you can go ask her. We're not women rescuing children, we're no threat to you. Could you please give the children some hot water to drink first?"

The young man turned his head towards the stone house and spoke to the people inside: "Okay, you can come with me first."

After entering the village, they hadn't walked more than ten meters when they arrived at Ye Chunmei's house: "Auntie, a carload of people has arrived. They say they're Uncle Dazhuang's women..."

Not only did Ye Chunmei and Ye Chunlan come out of the house, but Chen Xia from next door also came out: "This must be the second wave! Let's go take a look."

"This time, Qin Xueru's face is going to turn green with anger again! How can this Da Niu be such a womanizer?"

"Da Niu, if he doesn't find a few more women, where will he put all that brute strength...?"

It turned out that a few days ago, Su Wan was criticized at a company meeting, so she decisively brought her child, Su Ting, and Qin Ling over.

Qin Xueru knew about Su Jie and her sister's situation, since they had lived together in the courtyard house before.

They only allowed them to enter the village after they had Qin Xueru come down from the mountain to recognize them.

They arrived a little earlier and were accommodated in the house at the foot of the mountain where Niu Dazhuang had stayed when he got married.